Meet DeepL: Inside our Mentoring Program

At DeepL, we grow best when we learn from each other. Whether it’s sharing knowledge, gaining fresh perspectives, or building meaningful connections across teams, mentoring helps us grow together, as professionals and as people.

To bring this vision to life, DeepL recently launched its first mentoring program — an initiative designed to strengthen learning, collaboration and connection across the company. We spoke with Anna Rita Harvey from our Talent Development team, who led the creation of the program, to learn how mentoring is helping people learn, lead, and grow.

Can you introduce yourself and your role at DeepL?

Sure! I’m Anna Rita, and I’m part of DeepL’s Talent Development team. My role focuses on designing and delivering programs that help our people grow and develop in line with our business goals.

What inspired the creation of DeepL’s Mentoring Program?

We were hearing across the business that employees were eager for a formal mentoring program. This came through strongly in our employee Engagement Survey and stakeholder interviews — so, in many ways, it was our employees who inspired it.

Can you tell us more about the program itself? What it is, how it works, and what employees can expect when they join?

The DeepL Peer Mentoring Program is designed to foster a growth mindset and encourage peer-to-peer learning. It connects employees through one-on-one relationships focused on personal and professional development. We match mentees and mentors based on a few key development areas and mentor strengths. For this initial program, our goal was also to prioritize matches from different parts of the organization so that participants can benefit from diverse perspectives. Whether as a mentor or a mentee, participants experience two-way learning, gain new insights, and grow together. Mentors strengthen their leadership skills and make a lasting impact, while mentees gain a trusted guide to accelerate their development and expand their network.

How long does a mentoring relationship typically last?

The duration of a mentoring relationship can vary widely; however, for our current program, mentors and mentees are matched for 6 months. Since this was our first program, we chose a fixed timeframe to encourage participation, focus on what we could learn, and identify ways to improve it in the future. 

How does mentoring contribute to DeepL’s culture of learning, collaboration, and connection across teams and locations?

I believe mentoring brings our "Win as a team" and "Learn fast, grow faster" values to life.

Through mentoring, we win as a team by fostering trust and collaboration across the business. These relationships connect people who might not normally interact, creating space for shared learning, development and success. 

At the same time, mentoring also embodies “Learn fast, grow faster”. It encourages curiosity, experimentation and a growth mindset, empowering people to learn from each other and accelerate their development through genuine human connection.

What has been the most rewarding part of leading this initiative for you personally?

As someone who’s deeply passionate about the power of human connection and helping others grow, leading DeepL’s first mentoring program has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my role. I genuinely believe we can learn so much from one another, and sometimes all it takes is a small push to bring us together.

What’s inspired me most has been seeing how passionate our employees are about mentoring. Watching people step out of their comfort zones to become mentors for the first time, and witnessing the strong engagement from several of our senior leaders — many of whom have also joined the program — has been truly inspiring.

Have you had a mentor or mentee shape your own career journey?

Over the years, I’ve had both formal and informal mentors and mentees, and I’ve loved all of those experiences. It’s incredibly energizing to meet and learn from people I might not have encountered in my regular day-to-day work. But what gives me the most energy is being able to support someone else on their journey, watching them experiment, and seeing them achieve their own goals. It’s wonderful to see someone else thrive!

How do you envision mentoring evolving at DeepL as we continue to grow globally?

I’m looking forward to all the insights we'll gather throughout this program, and using the feedback to shape what its future might look like. Mentoring can take many forms — from programs focused on key topics like leadership development to reverse mentoring — so the possibilities are endless. I’m excited to see how we can continue using this approach to drive meaningful business outcomes and address talent challenges.

What message would you like to share with anyone considering joining the next round?

Give it a try! Mentoring can be one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll have, both personally and professionally. You might be surprised by what you learn about yourself along the way.

At DeepL, mentoring is more than just a program. It’s a way for us to grow together. By sharing knowledge, building trust, and inspiring one another, we continue to strengthen our culture of learning and collaboration across every team and location.

Want to grow with us? Explore careers at DeepL Careers and discover how we empower people to learn, lead, and thrive.